Protective rites
The red thread and Rachel's tomb
A red wool thread, wound around the tomb of Rachel and tied on the left wrist, worn against the evil eye.
Presented by ClearTrust Customs described as customs, free to read.
Among Jewish folk customs, a red wool thread tied on the wrist is worn to ward off the evil eye, ayin hara in Hebrew. A well-known form is a thread first wound around Rachel's Tomb near Bethlehem, which is a pilgrimage site for people praying for children, health and protection. The thread is cut, tied with a blessing on the left wrist, and worn until it falls off.
This is an outline of a custom, said as belief and practice. It is not instruction, it does not say that the rite works, and it is not medical advice.
What goes into it
- Red wool threadObjectSpun wool, usually tied by another person.
- Rachel's TombSpaceThe pilgrimage site where the thread is wound.
- BlessingWordSaid as the knot is made.
- Seven knotsGestureA number often used in the custom.
- Left wristSpaceWhere it is worn.
- Prayer for protectionWordSaid by the wearer.
- Object
- Space
- Word
- Gesture
Each part has an equal wedge. The ring shows what goes into the rite, not how much. Colour is the part's role.
The steps, drawn
Each drawing shows the kind of act in that step. Details differ from place to place, family to family and practitioner to practitioner.
Step 1: Gather Take a red wool thread to the tomb or from a family member. Step 2: Circle Wind it around the tomb, in the custom. Step 3: Speak Say the blessing against the evil eye. Step 4: Bind Tie the thread on the left wrist, often with seven knots. Step 5: Rest Wear it until it frays and falls away.
Roots and spread
The custom has been known in Jewish communities of the Middle East and North Africa for a long time, and is told in the form of tradition, not of law. A Kabbalistic reading links the left side with judgement and the red colour with warding off harm. In the 1990s the Kabbalah Centre promoted red string bracelets, which made them famous worldwide, and the rabbis of many Orthodox communities have criticised their sale as commercial.
Other red threads
Red threads are known in other religions, such as the Hindu kalava or mauli, tied on the wrist at puja, and the Chinese red thread of fate. The red colour is widely used in protective customs, as in Mediterranean red coral. Scholars see the thread as one example of a cross-cultural pattern of using colour and binding against envy.
What it is for
- Ward the evil eye
- Ask for health and children
Who does it
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Sources and further reading
Original text and drawings by the EveryJaadu desk, written with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Closed or sacred detail is left out. If we have something wrong, tell us.
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Rachel's Tomb: Lane-Poole, Stanley, Public domain, source
- Evil eye: FocalPoint, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Red string: Mx. Granger, CC0, source